Welcome Back Smarty Pants!

Hello Blog lovers,

Well today I had an easy run, because I was running with Smarty Pants. Congratulations on the birth of your gorgeous daughter only four weeks ago! and already keen as muck to get out and get fit again.

Well Naggy said that she should take it easy, maybe doing a mile of interval training or twenty minutes interval training. So that's what we did, I suggested to Smarty Pants that we head for Old Faithful turn around lamppost, but she wanted to go just a little further. So I suggested the interval running, which was two minutes running two minutes walking, until we get back. Of course Smarty Pants being Smarty Pants didn't look to impressed with this idea.

We set off in bright warm sunshine, Smarty Pants with her music blaring, me with the Garmin going, to keep an eye on the time and geeky stats and everything. We ran for the first two minutes and then I stopped her and we walked for the next two. "How long we going to walk for?" Says Smarty Pants, eager to get running again. "Two minutes then we off running again" I told her.

She still looked dubious about the whole interval running thing, but by the time we got to Southborough Lane I think she began to appreciate the whole concept of interval running! On the walking sections she said to me "I can't believe I used to run miles without stopping, up and down the hills, and now I am sweating just half a mile in" I had to remind her that she not been running for ten months or so, and had just had a baby! (She still looks fabulous though, I looked like the back of a bus for at least 16 years after my babies)

Next running part, earphones back in for Smarty Pants and me running along enjoying being out running in the wonderful sunshine! I was listening to Smarty Pants breathing and comparing it to mine, and remembering when we were running together last year and the tables were turned. Smarty Pants was running miles and miles while I still struggled (and still do) on just 3 miles! But I know she has a determination to get back her full fitness, but this time she will be listening to her body, if she has knee pains she will stop and walk, or maybe even rest up, if required. Yes, it wont be long before Smarty Pants outruns me again. Well I have got ten years on her you know!

When we get to the park Smarty Pants said that she wants to try and run from the exit all the way to my house, with no stopping. So I kept an eye on the time, and then stopped her running about a minute into the park then we walked to exit, with our lungs filled to capacity with oxygen, and all set to get to my house.

The exit was soon there, "Are you ready" I said to her "Yup" she said, and we started running. All the way home to my door. I told her to keep on the road, it saves precious energy rather than going up and down on each driveway, (something that Naggy taught me) I ran along side her, hoping that I am helping her to keep on going. Her breathing was getting the better of her again but she was still doing well. On down the road towards my turning, not far to go now, I can see that she is having her own battle going on. We turn down my road and I encourage her to keep it up, a hundred yards to go now, "Come on Smarty Pants, you can do, give a little bit more" As I encourage her to 'Finish In Style'. "That's it, you're doing it, now sprint up the path" And with that she took off! Left me eating dust! Where did that come from!!

She refused to walk around the green to shake her legs out, she collapsed on the door step, but boy did she look pleased with her self. Her own personal battles going on inside, but she is back on the treadmill! She said she was pleased about the whole interval running, as she don't think she would have been able to run the whole way, not this time, not yet, (I was quite enjoying the whole interval running as well, Old couchie was well pleased with that) Well done Smarty Pants, well done indeed. (Oh and I didn't go back out running, thought I would right my blog up instead)........ What! Well I am going riding tonight, look out later for my riding blog!

Geeky stats, and I think for the first time out in a year, Smarty Pants did really well!